Louisiana couple's message about love is inspiring thousands

The Monroe, Louisiana, pair wore matching T-shirts — with Mrs. Bell (for her) and Mr. Bell (for him) etched on the back.

More: Man wishes old girlfriends a Merry EX-mas and all hell breaks loose

"Me and my husband, we are a happy couple, so we did silly poses with the photographers," Tynedria told Good Morning America. "He [photographer Keyston Harris] uploaded them on Facebook."

Tynedria Bell 1

Tynedria Bell 1

The happy photos — including one where Tynedria is giving Pendarius a piggy back ride — were meant to be a keepsake for their family, but the photos went viral on social media after they were posted online. The reason: The Bells don't fit the "typical" idea of what a couple should look like because Tynedria is plus-sized while Pendarius is thin.

But so-called norms don't fit the pair, who has been together for eight years and married for four. Tynedria and Pendarius are in love — and now they are inspiring others.

More: The sweet thing one man does nightly for his diabetic girlfriend

“I got all these messages, saying ‘They say plus-size women don’t have any hope in relationships, but if we could do it, anybody else could do it.’ Some said it inspired them to keep pushing when they were thinking about giving up,” Tynedria told The News Star, adding that she's received several thousand messages and friend requests over the past few days.

Tynedria Bell 2

Tynedria Bell 2

One woman told Tynedria that the "fact that you all don’t mind taking pictures, doing silly things and posting them online is amazing. This is a beautiful relationship and I am truly happy for the both of you.”

"Just last night I was telling my aunt I'm never gonna find love because of my weight," another follower wrote. "You and your husband inspired me to know there's someone out there for me. Thank you."

And it's about time. We've made strides toward being a more size-accepting society, but there's still a rather large stigma that questions why a man would want to date a woman who weighs more than him. Those who do are viewed as fetishists or "chubby chasers," when that is definitely not the case for many men in love with plus-sized women. People of all sizes deserve to be and feel loved and not have it questioned or dismissed.

More: Man text-proposes to girlfriend while stranded at Chicago O'Hare

All of the positive messages make "me feel excellent," Tynedria told GMA. "When I was young I was so negative and now I see people looking up to me. For the people that didn't have faith in themselves, they didn't need me to boost their ego, but I thank God that they paid attention to me to help do that. They have nothing more to hide or have to be depressed, or stressing. Everybody's got to be loved."

Nine-year-old brain tumour patient has testicular tissue frozen

NHS and Oxford University medics have carried out an operation on a nine-year-old boy with a brain tumour to preserve some of his testicular tissue. Nathan Crawford has become the first boy in the UK to have the operation, with the hope he can have children later in life.

How to tone up at home

Dec 22, 2015

Boost your metabolism and re-energise your body with this 10 minute workout

Try ‘every minute on the minute’. Set one timer for 10 minutes and another for 60 seconds and do the following circuit. If you complete all the moves in the circuit within the minute, rest until the end of the minute before starting again, doing 10 circuits in all! 

Fitness

Workout Routines

home workouts

workout routines

fast workouts

20 Best holiday dessert recipes to make the season even sweeter

Below you'll find 20 of our best holiday dessert recipes including trusty staples like cookies, cakes and pies. We've also included some desserts that are sure to wow your friends and family, such as a festive cream puff Christmas tree and cherry-filled gingerbread tarts.

During this holiday season, you won't serve just one dessert because you'll want to try many when faced with all these exciting choices. Happy baking!

1. Gingerbread chocolate chip cookies

Everybody loves a chocolate chip cookie. This one gives the classic a holiday spin with the taste of gingerbread.

2. Stuffed and baked pear dumplings

Elegant baked pears can be stuffed with anything you like. They're wrapped with premade dough and are deceptively simple to make.

3. Caramel apple pie

We've added depth and richness to ordinary apple pie by incorporating caramel into the filling. It will be a surefire hit at your holiday party.

4. Chocolate raisin apple pie

With the smooth appeal of cake and the crunchy appeal of pie, this is a tasty combination dreamed up in holiday heaven.

5. Spice cake with apple cider caramel sauce

Special is what you get when you mix a regular box mix with a homemade apple cider caramel sauce slathered on top of a Bundt cake.

Next: More holiday dessert recipes

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6. Crimson cranberry-orange tart

Cranberries aren't just a relish to other dishes, but make the perfect dessert when they're treated properly. Let ice cream or whipped topping play second fiddle to this dish.

7. Rum raisin tiramisu

This is a dessert for the adults in the group, as it holds a lot of rum that doesn't cook out during preparation.

8. Copycat Starbucks gingerbread biscotti

You don't need to fork out the big bucks anymore. With this copycat recipe, you're going to be the stop for coffee on your friends' route.

9. Chocolate-dipped Christmas treats

Turn your store-bought cookies, pretzels and whatever else tickles your fancy into decadent treats with these tantalizing recipes of dipped chocolate.

10. Homemade gumdrop candies

Never buy boxed gumdrops again. You can choose your favorite flavors and make as much as you want. You'll wonder why you never did it before.

Next: More holiday dessert recipes

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11. Double Dutch chocolate mocha cupcakes

Coffee, chocolate and peppermint buttercream sounds like your favorite seasonal coffee, right? That's the inspiration. Enjoy.

12. Snowy mountain cookies

A no-bake cookie that looks just like little mountain tops is the perfect treat for your holiday table. With cocoa and peanut butter, they're a tasty treat to eat as well!

13. Festive cream puff Christmas tree

It looks absolutely beautiful on your table as a centerpiece and tastes incredibly scrumptious when your meal is over and it's time for dessert.

14. Cherry-filled gingerbread man tarts

The recipe calls them handheld pockets of holiday happiness. They'll certainly surprise your guests who are expecting a more traditional treat.

15. Wiener dog Santa cookies

A simple molasses cookie recipe, some icing and some candy pieces will create an adorable 3D dog cookie that will stand on its own. They're almost too cute to eat.

Next: More holiday dessert recipes

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16. Olaf the snowman treats

Disney's movie Frozen is coming to a theater near you. Celebrate the season and the premiere with these tasty treats made of marshmallows and graham crackers.

17. Ice cream cone Santa hats

These look daunting, but don't let that fool you. They're relatively simple to make and will look smashing over a dollop of ice cream.

18. Snowman doughnut faces

These are a kid-friendly treat that are super easy to make and will put a bright smile on your kids' faces. Use store-bought doughnuts to make them even easier.

19. Buckeye bark

There's no need to sit around and roll buckeyes anymore. Just make bark! It's the combination of creamy peanut butter sandwiched between semisweet chocolate layers that does it.

20 . Chocolate snowball crinkles

Soft and fudgy, these cookies pack a powerful chocolate punch. Rolled in powdered sugar and baked, these tasty treats won't last long, so think about doubling the recipe.

More holiday recipes

50 cookie recipes
Guilt-free holiday cookies
Pumpkin pie and other holiday recipes with superfoods

Helping Others Dampens the Effects of Everyday Stress

Providing help to friends, acquaintances, and even strangers can mitigate the impact of daily stressors on our emotions and our mental health, according to new research published in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

pH Balance: Easy Tips On How To Balance pH Naturally

This article will give a simple approach to balancing pH as well as understanding the implications of out of range pH numbers. This little known, and often misunderstood, aspect of health can be the missing key that so many need to move forward in their journey to optimum health.

Joey Feek leaves hospice bed to play with her baby (VIDEO)

More: Joey Feek shares an adorable moment with her daughter, Indiana (PHOTO)

The terminally ill country singer was able to leave her hospice bed for the first time in weeks in order to get on the floor and play with her baby girl, Indiana.

"I guess the power-of-the-will is much stronger than the power of fear," her husband, Rory Feek, wrote in a blog post about the day. "Honestly, I think Joey just got tired of listening to life going on in the rooms outside of her bedroom and tired of wondering what it would be like to be part of it."

A video of the occasion shows Joey, assisted by her sister, shocking her friends and family by walking into the living room. Joey, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014, stopped treatment last fall when it was discovered that her cancer was continuing to spread, and entered hospice care in her home.

Joey Feek leaves hospice bed to play with her baby girl

Joey Feek leaves hospice bed to play with her baby girl

"We almost couldn't believe our eyes," Rory wrote in his blog post, titled "The Gift." "We were all so proud of her, but I think Joey was even more proud of herself."

More: Joey Feek makes emotional plea about her baby (PHOTOS)

Rory also shared photos on Facebook showing Joey on the floor with Indy, soon to be 2 years old, playing and teaching her sign language.

Joey Feek leaves hospice bed to play with baby girl 2

Joey Feek leaves hospice bed to play with baby girl 2

"She was a mama again," he wrote. "Playing with and teaching sign language to her little girl, like she'd been dreaming of being able to do."

Rory, who has been documenting his wife's illness and treatment on the blog, wrote that although her looks have changed, she has "the same joy in her spirit and the same beautiful smile is still there, shining through."

More: Joey Feek's husband gives heartbreaking update on his wife's health

The Duggars accused of lying in Jill & Jessa: Counting On premiere

But the facts weren't just spun to make the family sound better. According to In Touch, many of the details weren't even facts, but fiction.

More: Anna Duggar may have sad motives for appearing on Jill & Jessa: Counting On

Specifically surrounding the counseling the family received following the revelation that their brother, Josh, had sexually molested multiple young girls, his sisters among them, for years as a teenager.

In the premiere of the show last night, Jessa said, "There was a period of time in our family when Josh was not to be trusted," but she said that through counseling and over time, "that relationship was restored."

But In Touch reports that Josh never had any formal counseling. And Jill and Jessa, who were both among their brother's victims, didn't receive professional help until years after the initial incident.

Rather, Josh built houses and participated in manual labor activities under the supervision of a family friend, not a certified mental health professional.

Still, Jill claimed the family went through "lots of different steps" after the incident to heal, including counseling "when that situation took place."

More: Jessa Duggar's new show to feature intimate moments from her labor (VIDEO)

However, court documents revealed that it wasn't until child services did a probe, years after the molestation, that the family finally got the girls into counseling.

During the year and a half between the initial discovery of Josh's actions and parents Michelle and Jim Bob going to the authorities, In Touch reveals that the police reports state the girls were repeatedly molested.

Furthermore, Jill also said in the show last night that she felt it "wasn't right" for her to be exposed as a victim and she said that she felt like she and her sister had been "thrown under the bus."

But In Touch states that Jill and Jessa weren't named in Josh's crimes until they themselves chose to come out publicly.

All in all, if these reports about the Duggars' lies are true, then it sounds like there was a lot of sympathy baiting going on that should have been carefully managed by TLC, but wasn't.

The network knew they were taking a risk by allowing the Duggars to return to television. Jill & Jessa: Counting On has already been the subject of a lot of controversy.

More: Anna Duggar gets emotional on camera talking about Josh Duggar

Now to allow lies about the molestation to be further permeated, thus lightening the truth of the situation and making it seem like it all wasn't as big a deal as reported, the show is creating more harm than good.

Do you think TLC should cancel Jill & Jessa: Counting On?

Cryo-electron microscope research reveals structure and mechanism of Bluetongue virus

UCLA scientists collaborate on study offering new understanding of disease that has killed millions of cattle

Tips to Help You Lose Excess Belly Fat

Everyone has some belly fat, but if you have a large amount it can cause …

The post Tips to Help You Lose Excess Belly Fat appeared first on The Best Of Health.

RHONY's Bethenny Frankel to produce 'porn-oriented' programming

Variety reported that, alongside Brent Montgomery, CEO of reality television company Leftfield Pictures, Frankel announced today that she and Leftfield have signed a deal to develop and produce television projects together. Frankel’s work with Leftfield will be under the banner of her newly launched production company, B Real Productions.

More: RHONY's Jill Zarin admits she misses Bethenny Frankel

For those following the RHONY star’s recent career moves, this announcement should come as no surprise. Her newest television program, Food Porn, premieres on FYI this Thursday, Dec. 3 at 9/8c. Hosted by restaurateur Michael Chernow, the show will follow the restaurants, chefs and diners behind the delicious meals represented under Instagram’s #foodporn hashtag. Frankel is Food Porn’s executive producer.

It is fitting, then, that the first two shows that B Real and Leftfield will coproduce operate under similar branding. Closet Porn is likely to look at fashion trends through the lens of social media, while Cocktail Porn will presumably do the same for bars and mixology. It remains to be seen how many more of B Real’s shows will fall under the same branding, though they will all certainly remain within Frankel’s general areas of lifestyle interest.

More: Bethenny Frankel says she's sleeping with Eric Stonestreet (VIDEO)

Frankel celebrated the news on Twitter this afternoon, and her fans are already sharing in the excitement.

Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Response 1 to Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Response 1 to Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Response 2 to Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Response 2 to Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Response 3 to Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Response 3 to Bethenney Frankel B Real Tweet

Excited to see where the reality television superstar will be taking her porn empire next? You won't have to wait too long to find out! Be sure to tune into Food Porn when it premieres on Thursday on FYI.

9 Things to know about The Biggest Loser Season 17 cast

Here's what you can expect from Season 17.

1. They all mean business

"The big challenge was, how much do you value your health?" explained contestant Hope Wright, who is on the ranch competing with her husband Colby Wright. "Do you value your health enough to be here? And so all 16 of us stayed."

"[Bob] offered us $25,000 to leave," Colby revealed, echoing his wife's statements. And none of the contestants took the offer. Instead, they started the season with a trial run.

2. There is a reality TV team

Survivor: Borneo winner Richard Hatch and The Voice Season 2 semi-finalist Erin Willett will both be joining the show. And, as luck (or, more correctly, producers) would have it, the two are partners this season on The Biggest Loser.

"As much as your life can be crazy and there can be a lot of things in your way, you have to take the time to focus on yourself," Willett said. "If you don't put yourself first then nothing's going to be able to change."

3. They're all about getting healthy

The skinny standard is out the window.

"Be healthy," best friends and partners Whitney Clay and Felicia Buffkin said almost immediately in unison when asked what advice they would give young girls.

"Focus on health and then the outward will fix itself," Buffkin added.

4. There are former athletes

Husband and wife team Jacky and Stephen Kmet both come from athletic backgrounds.

"That's one of my toughest things," Jacky revealed, "How did I let this happen to my body? The difficulty level."

Jacky played softball and basketball in college at a D3 school while Stephen played ice hockey in college.

"One of the things that even led us here was that we lost our athletic backgrounds," Stephen explained. "I want my son to see me play ice hockey. And he's a great athlete now and my daughter's a great athlete. But my son has never seen me play ice hockey and that bothers me."

5. There are big challenges for some

Father/daughter duo Sarah Gilbert and Rob Kidney experienced their fair share of struggles after only the first week.

Kidney admitted movement was his biggest hurdle, "I'm the oldest guy on the show. I'm 56 and I came in with having been a cancer survivor and several other things. Our whole story is a story of addiction. We consider what we do with food an addiction just like an alcoholic uses alcohol."

As for Gilbert, she has a tight IT band, which causes her knee cap to shift when she walks. Luckily, the show has been carefully monitoring it and taping her knee in order to avoid the movement.

6. There's plenty of inspiration

Mother/daughter duo Vicki and Lauren Clark really showcased the emotion on the show when discussing their experience with the pressure to look a certain way.

"I just don't want little girls growing up to be like me and getting to be an adult and having treated themselves so poorly when they were little," Lauren revealed between tears. "To be an adult and look back at pictures of themselves when they were little, and think, 'I wasn't even that big. I was never that ugly. Why was I so mean to myself?' So just be kinder to themselves and give themselves a break and don't listen to what everyone else says because a lot of the time it's just their own insecurities coming out.

7. There's tons of liberation

Vicki revealed that the ladies have been taking it off.

"Hope started it," she said with a laugh. "We're out there working out in our bra."

And while she lamented at the loss of her modesty some, it also seems entirely freeing and fabulous. We say take it off!

8. Their families are on board

Gilbert's husband was probably the most inspiring.

"Both of them are pretty healthy," Gilbert revealed of her and Kidney's respective spouses. "But my husband, just since we've been gone, has already lost 12 pounds. And he really doesn't have that much more to lose. He's really excited for me and wants to be as healthy as possible so that when I come back we can both be in the same gear."

9. There's already competition

After the first team challenge, Jacky of the husband and wife team revealed that the competitiveness had started to settle in.

"The hard part is, because we're all living together, we really bond with our team as well as the other team, so honestly, first and foremost, I do want to win. I want to win," she said.

Her husband, Stephen, agreed, "Everybody's got their game face on."

The Biggest Loser premieres Monday, Jan. 17 on NBC.

Sinusitis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Colds are common at this time of year and unfortunately they can sometimes lead to …

The post Sinusitis: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment appeared first on The Best Of Health.